Daily Traveler’s Journal: The West Coast Memory Lane Ride
Day 1: July 2nd, 2018
My first and second days on my Reminiscing Western US ride were spent in the Sierra Mountains, which reside on the eastern side of California. Around when I reached Highway 120 was when the tension from my spirit, which had built up during my months off my bike, started to drain out of my body. The beginning was a little rough for me, I was still in “rush hour traffic and road rage” mode but by the entrance to Yosemite I had calmed down to my normal state of chilled-out. I took my first break soon into the National Park with some cheese and sausage while looking over a glorious vista point that’s rarely used, or so I gathered by the lack of other visitors. From there I had wanted to recreate photos from my September visit so I was enjoying the ability to re-experience the road and the sights I had stopped at on that cold and snow covered day. Three of the photos were my main goal to shoot again and I was successful in finding all three spots, or close to them. The many stops I did gave me the chance to let traffic by so I would have a space before and after myself in which I could cruise at my own speed. Much of the time I found myself under the speed limit because I was scanning the sides of the road for wildlife. It’s much easier to do when I don’t have to worry about a car in front of me braking.
By the end of Yosemite and when I reached Mono Lake I had stopped so many times for photos I was a little irritated at myself. Luckily nothing tempted me to get off my bike on highway 395 and by highway 108 I was okay to stop if I needed take a photo. I certainly did have the need as I started Sonora Pass and found one of the only great vista points to be seen on the road. This was a road meant to ride, not a road meant to look at. The curves were sharp, the switchbacks were plenty, and the roads were nicely paved. I was so filled with joy at being on the road, and riding such beautiful places, that I started to write a short poem in my head. By no means am I a master with words but it goes like this: “In the distance, clouds towering like the peaks of Olympus. The trees surrounding me like the crowds of a concert. The sweet smelling nectar of nature filling my lungs.” Well, it doesn’t rhyme and I haven’t finished it but hey, it’s a start. My main memory was the smell up on the pass, 8,000+ feet above sea level, of the trees and flowers. It was an experience in of itself that I know will stick with me, or at least hope it does as memories can morph quite mysterious as time passes.
On Sonora I got the pleasant surprise of seeing marmots, not just one but six. I tried every time I saw one to slow down but they were all shy and skittered down the steep cliff edge before I could try for a photo. At the same time I was on the decline from the peak and got to enjoy just coasting in neutral for miles, which probably accounts for my awesome mileage on that tank of gas. Once the best part of the highway was behind me I just focused on getting to my friend’s house in Arnold, which was where I had planned to stay. Having a house to go to I didn’t have to worry about how late I rode but I still wanted to make it before sun down. Which I did, with a measles ten minutes to spare.
Once at the house I checked on the condition of things (this is where I spent the month of November in 2017) and settling in. I got onto the neighbors WiFi where I posted up my pictures from the day and in the process found someone 1.6 miles from me who invited me over for a beer. The rest of my evening was spent chatting over a couple beers with a very interesting fellow named Nate. We had the kindred spirit of traveling, on top of our love for the same motorcycles, so the conversation came easy and kept me there until after midnight.
Starting milage: 33,575
Day 1 miles completed: 376
Ending milage: 33,951
By the end of Yosemite and when I reached Mono Lake I had stopped so many times for photos I was a little irritated at myself. Luckily nothing tempted me to get off my bike on highway 395 and by highway 108 I was okay to stop if I needed take a photo. I certainly did have the need as I started Sonora Pass and found one of the only great vista points to be seen on the road. This was a road meant to ride, not a road meant to look at. The curves were sharp, the switchbacks were plenty, and the roads were nicely paved. I was so filled with joy at being on the road, and riding such beautiful places, that I started to write a short poem in my head. By no means am I a master with words but it goes like this: “In the distance, clouds towering like the peaks of Olympus. The trees surrounding me like the crowds of a concert. The sweet smelling nectar of nature filling my lungs.” Well, it doesn’t rhyme and I haven’t finished it but hey, it’s a start. My main memory was the smell up on the pass, 8,000+ feet above sea level, of the trees and flowers. It was an experience in of itself that I know will stick with me, or at least hope it does as memories can morph quite mysterious as time passes.
On Sonora I got the pleasant surprise of seeing marmots, not just one but six. I tried every time I saw one to slow down but they were all shy and skittered down the steep cliff edge before I could try for a photo. At the same time I was on the decline from the peak and got to enjoy just coasting in neutral for miles, which probably accounts for my awesome mileage on that tank of gas. Once the best part of the highway was behind me I just focused on getting to my friend’s house in Arnold, which was where I had planned to stay. Having a house to go to I didn’t have to worry about how late I rode but I still wanted to make it before sun down. Which I did, with a measles ten minutes to spare.
Once at the house I checked on the condition of things (this is where I spent the month of November in 2017) and settling in. I got onto the neighbors WiFi where I posted up my pictures from the day and in the process found someone 1.6 miles from me who invited me over for a beer. The rest of my evening was spent chatting over a couple beers with a very interesting fellow named Nate. We had the kindred spirit of traveling, on top of our love for the same motorcycles, so the conversation came easy and kept me there until after midnight.
Starting milage: 33,575
Day 1 miles completed: 376
Ending milage: 33,951
Day 2: July 3rd, 2018
Tuesday morning I was up bright and early with the sun when I heard grunting and rustling outside the open window. Ecstatic that I may get to see a bear grazing its way thru the yard I was disappointed to find four deer eating the grass. So I dejectedly got my breakfast from my bike and had an easy morning before packing up to ride highway 4, known as Ebetts Pass. It was 1030 before I really got going and had some construction to deal with. To avoid riding in the cluster of vehicles I stopped at an overlook to take a photo, have a snack, and pee. Just as I was about to pee a RV pulls off and I’m forced to sit awkwardly on a rock while I wait for an older lady to take her photos and get back into the vehicle. Finally I relieved myself and continued on. While I don’t particular like riding highway 4, Ebbetts Pass, because many miles of it are a lane and a half without the dividing lines, it is a particularly beautiful area. Alpine Lake and Mosquito Lake were gorgeous plus the view over the gulley between mountains was reminiscent of Highway 550 in Colorado, which I also like. It would’ve all been much more enjoyable if I wasn’t always worried about a car running head first into me around a corner on the narrow road, which did come close to happening one time. But eventually it became two lane again and the world was right again.
As my bike and I dropped out of the pass the temperature started to rise and I was feeling the want to stop. There were so many wonderful camping pull offs on highways 4 and 108 that had me itching to camp. The road began paralleling a river and I struggled to find somewhere to camp off of it that there wasn’t any people. I got my bike stuck once, which took a few minutes to get out, and I spent a lot of time cruising the line trying to decide where I could compromise for camp. Pull off after pull off didn’t pan out until I found the perfect one. No one was camped there, there was just the spot for my hammock, and the river had easy access. I got partially set up, took a short video and met a guy fishing on the river. He pulled in a 10 pound trout, which he ironically put there, and we chatted for awhile. Once he left I dipped into the freezing water for a wash and finished setting up camp. After my afternoon nap all was well and fine until my body told me something bad was about to come out. I couldn’t get very far before I had to squat down and barely five seconds after I pulled my shorts down a car pulls in. I rush to pull up my shorts and again have to stand there awkwardly before I could dig a hole and fix my mess. Awkward potty situations must be the theme for the day. My final responsibilities before dark was to hang my food in a tree then I settled in to write this, and read a book.
Day 2 Miles completed: 64
Ending mileage: 34,015
As my bike and I dropped out of the pass the temperature started to rise and I was feeling the want to stop. There were so many wonderful camping pull offs on highways 4 and 108 that had me itching to camp. The road began paralleling a river and I struggled to find somewhere to camp off of it that there wasn’t any people. I got my bike stuck once, which took a few minutes to get out, and I spent a lot of time cruising the line trying to decide where I could compromise for camp. Pull off after pull off didn’t pan out until I found the perfect one. No one was camped there, there was just the spot for my hammock, and the river had easy access. I got partially set up, took a short video and met a guy fishing on the river. He pulled in a 10 pound trout, which he ironically put there, and we chatted for awhile. Once he left I dipped into the freezing water for a wash and finished setting up camp. After my afternoon nap all was well and fine until my body told me something bad was about to come out. I couldn’t get very far before I had to squat down and barely five seconds after I pulled my shorts down a car pulls in. I rush to pull up my shorts and again have to stand there awkwardly before I could dig a hole and fix my mess. Awkward potty situations must be the theme for the day. My final responsibilities before dark was to hang my food in a tree then I settled in to write this, and read a book.
Day 2 Miles completed: 64
Ending mileage: 34,015
Day 3: July 4th, 2018
Come Wednesday the fourth I left my campsite on the river shortly after the sun finally peaked over the mountain to warm it up a bit. Some people had drove in to do some fishing but I never spoke to them. I set out with the idea to get to South Lake Tahoe to watch the fireworks for the Fourth of July after I rode a few miles of Carson Pass. Carson pass on highway 88 wasn’t really all that impressive, compared to Sonora and Ebbetts, in terms of riding or views so I quickly turned around to retrace my route back to 89 north. The traffic in the whole area was already starting to be 10x more than I had seen since Yosemite and it was a sign for the crowds to come.
Once in South Lake Tahoe I rode thru the downtown area and then retraced to a Taco Bell, where I enjoyed my first tacos since I left San Jose and decided that the place was too crowded for me to enjoy fireworks by myself. Being that crowds make me anxious, and crowds of rich hipsters making it worse (I couldn’t count the amount of name brand clothing and luxury vehicles I saw), I decided to skip the fireworks and head towards Lava Beds National Monument. The decision not only had me moving away from the ridiculous traffic but also moved up the timeline when I would reach Crater Lake. Getting THERE on a Saturday wouldn’t have been my best idea in the world, and staying for the show would’ve caused that.
After 25 miles of the worst traffic-jammed ride in my life, where many cops got the chance to read my “offensive” helmet, I made it to a crapshoot of 23 miles of interstate. Once I exited the windy interstate I took highway 20 to 49 where I could breathe easy and relax again. The curves were easy swaying back and forth with little traffic. 49 was pleasant besides the lack of spots to pass old people cruising along but I enjoyed myself until the pressure of the end of the day started to irritate me. To avoid the unpleasant feelings of wanting to make camp before dark (it’s instinctual these days), I cut off of 49 and took S620 to 70. There’s many places I should’ve stopped for pictures but there’s a time to ride, a time to look, and a time to stop. This was a time to ride but I did stop briefly for gas in East Quincey, not because my bike needed it but because I needed to stretch. It’s also nice to wake up to a mostly full tank of gas and then I went into the grocery store next door for some hard salami. I registered 160 miles on my tank, filled up with 2.5 gallons, and calculated 70mpg! Apparently I need to ride like this more often, it saves me money.
Back to 89 north again I said to myself “I’m going to stop if I see the right place”. Well, I did see that place and it was a quaint pull off near the river. It was too early to set up my hammock, since I could be glimpsed from the road, so I walked down to the water to write part of this and take photos. Eventually I meandered back, set up my hammock, and read my book until 2230 when I fell asleep. 0500 sure comes real early and I can’t seem to sleep past daybreak. (She mildly complains as she finishes the journal in the morning)
Ending milage: 34,312
Total miles for the day: 297
Total time riding: 7.25 hours
Total miles since San Jose: 737
Random thoughts of the day:
Once in South Lake Tahoe I rode thru the downtown area and then retraced to a Taco Bell, where I enjoyed my first tacos since I left San Jose and decided that the place was too crowded for me to enjoy fireworks by myself. Being that crowds make me anxious, and crowds of rich hipsters making it worse (I couldn’t count the amount of name brand clothing and luxury vehicles I saw), I decided to skip the fireworks and head towards Lava Beds National Monument. The decision not only had me moving away from the ridiculous traffic but also moved up the timeline when I would reach Crater Lake. Getting THERE on a Saturday wouldn’t have been my best idea in the world, and staying for the show would’ve caused that.
After 25 miles of the worst traffic-jammed ride in my life, where many cops got the chance to read my “offensive” helmet, I made it to a crapshoot of 23 miles of interstate. Once I exited the windy interstate I took highway 20 to 49 where I could breathe easy and relax again. The curves were easy swaying back and forth with little traffic. 49 was pleasant besides the lack of spots to pass old people cruising along but I enjoyed myself until the pressure of the end of the day started to irritate me. To avoid the unpleasant feelings of wanting to make camp before dark (it’s instinctual these days), I cut off of 49 and took S620 to 70. There’s many places I should’ve stopped for pictures but there’s a time to ride, a time to look, and a time to stop. This was a time to ride but I did stop briefly for gas in East Quincey, not because my bike needed it but because I needed to stretch. It’s also nice to wake up to a mostly full tank of gas and then I went into the grocery store next door for some hard salami. I registered 160 miles on my tank, filled up with 2.5 gallons, and calculated 70mpg! Apparently I need to ride like this more often, it saves me money.
Back to 89 north again I said to myself “I’m going to stop if I see the right place”. Well, I did see that place and it was a quaint pull off near the river. It was too early to set up my hammock, since I could be glimpsed from the road, so I walked down to the water to write part of this and take photos. Eventually I meandered back, set up my hammock, and read my book until 2230 when I fell asleep. 0500 sure comes real early and I can’t seem to sleep past daybreak. (She mildly complains as she finishes the journal in the morning)
Ending milage: 34,312
Total miles for the day: 297
Total time riding: 7.25 hours
Total miles since San Jose: 737
Random thoughts of the day:
- How did they number the state roads? They don’t seem to make any sense.
- I wonder if a remote camping meet-up/instructional would have interest from MMV.
- Why can’t cagers drive?
- Everything gets louder in the dark.
- Why are bugs so stupid?
- Very impressed my block of cheese has survived 3 days on the road.
Day 4: July 5th, 2018
Waking up at the crack of dawn and fairly refreshed I spent the first 3 hours of the morning wishing I was back asleep but instead I read the last of my current novel. Being done with that I grabbed my breakfast and ate it in my hammock before dragging my butt out to get dressed. Still waiting for it to warm up I walked back down to the river to take a couple more photos. Then it was pack up, which doesn’t take me long, and get moving. My first time to be rolling by 0830 in a long time.
Around 1030 I parked myself at the Lassen Volcanic National Park Visitor Center and went inside to figure out what to see. I rarely show up knowing what to see but I’m determined to see the seeing worthy stuff. The rangers were helpful as usual and I got the chance to unload a pocket full of change for a couple National Park tokens. Plus I got to press a few pennies to add to my collection and to send to my little pen pal later on. So anyway, first stop is the Vomitorium... I mean Sulpher Works. It’s a bubbling cesspool of mud and acid that smells like a rotten egg times ten. My photos of this spot were quick as I breathed thru my hoodie and then rushed back to clean air. Next stop, Emerald Lake for a nice shot of pink flowers with the lake. At the Bumpass Trailhead, where it was windy and felt like I was cuddling an iceberg, I snapped a few photos before moving on to be mesmerized by the extravagant colors of Lake Helen. Three colors of blue, yellow ringing the shore, and a mountain in the background? I swooned like a little school girl and then took way too many photos. Next, at Lassen Peak Trailhead I found that iceberg that I should’ve been cuddling to feel that cold but gave it the cold shoulder. These stops all happened fairly rapidly so I rode the rest of the way to the north entrance, where Manzanita Lake is, without stopping. I did get to enjoy the moon being visible over Lassen Peak but couldn’t find a spot to take a picture. There weren’t a lot of turn offs and the road was too curvy to risk stopping on the side. From the fires last year I also saw a lot of burned acreage in the middle section which made me sad because I knew a lot of the fires were arson.
At Manzanita Lake I took a short stroll to get a decent photo and then got back to my bike to head towards Lava Beds National Monument. It was a good three hour ride that took me until about 1500 to finish. Another check in at the Visitor Center for recommendations on which caves to do and the decision was Sunshine Cave and Skull Cave. Neither of which took me very long and the most enjoyable part was the chill in the ice floor area of Skull Cave. My flashlight died so I had to use my back up to make it out.
Not having realized there wouldn’t be gas 70 miles to Lava Beds, I was pushing 225 miles on my tank and just trying to take it easy the next 26 miles to the closest gas station. Surprising enough I made it to Merrill, OR without the fuel light starting it’s incessant blinking. My first and only fuel up for the day, I couldn’t much complain at 68.5mpg. 256 miles on the tank with .8 gallons to spare, plus the gas was a little cheaper than California. All was good as I finished my jaunt to Pam’s house in Chiloquin.
The rest of my evening was spent relaxing with Pam and James, having tacos and beer for dinner, and then passing out on their guest bed, which is where I sit writing this at 0700 before getting up for the day. Onto Crater Lake today!
Ending milage: 34,601
Total miles for the day: 299
Total time riding: 6 hours
Total miles since San Jose: 1,026
Around 1030 I parked myself at the Lassen Volcanic National Park Visitor Center and went inside to figure out what to see. I rarely show up knowing what to see but I’m determined to see the seeing worthy stuff. The rangers were helpful as usual and I got the chance to unload a pocket full of change for a couple National Park tokens. Plus I got to press a few pennies to add to my collection and to send to my little pen pal later on. So anyway, first stop is the Vomitorium... I mean Sulpher Works. It’s a bubbling cesspool of mud and acid that smells like a rotten egg times ten. My photos of this spot were quick as I breathed thru my hoodie and then rushed back to clean air. Next stop, Emerald Lake for a nice shot of pink flowers with the lake. At the Bumpass Trailhead, where it was windy and felt like I was cuddling an iceberg, I snapped a few photos before moving on to be mesmerized by the extravagant colors of Lake Helen. Three colors of blue, yellow ringing the shore, and a mountain in the background? I swooned like a little school girl and then took way too many photos. Next, at Lassen Peak Trailhead I found that iceberg that I should’ve been cuddling to feel that cold but gave it the cold shoulder. These stops all happened fairly rapidly so I rode the rest of the way to the north entrance, where Manzanita Lake is, without stopping. I did get to enjoy the moon being visible over Lassen Peak but couldn’t find a spot to take a picture. There weren’t a lot of turn offs and the road was too curvy to risk stopping on the side. From the fires last year I also saw a lot of burned acreage in the middle section which made me sad because I knew a lot of the fires were arson.
At Manzanita Lake I took a short stroll to get a decent photo and then got back to my bike to head towards Lava Beds National Monument. It was a good three hour ride that took me until about 1500 to finish. Another check in at the Visitor Center for recommendations on which caves to do and the decision was Sunshine Cave and Skull Cave. Neither of which took me very long and the most enjoyable part was the chill in the ice floor area of Skull Cave. My flashlight died so I had to use my back up to make it out.
Not having realized there wouldn’t be gas 70 miles to Lava Beds, I was pushing 225 miles on my tank and just trying to take it easy the next 26 miles to the closest gas station. Surprising enough I made it to Merrill, OR without the fuel light starting it’s incessant blinking. My first and only fuel up for the day, I couldn’t much complain at 68.5mpg. 256 miles on the tank with .8 gallons to spare, plus the gas was a little cheaper than California. All was good as I finished my jaunt to Pam’s house in Chiloquin.
The rest of my evening was spent relaxing with Pam and James, having tacos and beer for dinner, and then passing out on their guest bed, which is where I sit writing this at 0700 before getting up for the day. Onto Crater Lake today!
Ending milage: 34,601
Total miles for the day: 299
Total time riding: 6 hours
Total miles since San Jose: 1,026
Day 5: July 6th, 2018
After enjoying a lazy morning, Pam, James and I saddled up to go to Crater Lake. The ride was pleasant up until the 20 minute line we had to wait in to access the park. They let me lead in the Park so I could stop where I needed to. I was excited that I finally got clear photos of the lake because last year when I was there the smoke was pretty bad, which made good photographs impossible. While I would’ve liked to recreate a photo from last year I didn’t want to deal with the crowds I knew would be at Rim Village. So we settled for a few scenic pullouts, stopped so I could buy tokens and crush pennies, and then took the backroads to the store. Before the store we stopped at a historic site for a short tour. It was a nicely maintained place and I enjoyed touring it with Pam. Then it was back to the house where we all chilled until they made homemade pizza for dinner and we watched Jeopardy while we ate. It was an easy day that I very much enjoyed with friends.
Ending milage: 34,705
Total miles for the day: 104
Total time riding: 3 hours
Total miles since San Jose: 1,130
Ending milage: 34,705
Total miles for the day: 104
Total time riding: 3 hours
Total miles since San Jose: 1,130
Day 6: July 7th, 2018
My first notable occurrence starting my ride from Chiloquin, OR to Mountain Home, ID was that I almost hit Bambi’s mom and Bambi 1+2 in broad daylight shortly before the forested area ran out. You can bet I was aiming for the little ones, because if I was gonna hit anything they wouldn’t be as bad. Thankfully they got out of the way in time and then I saw my second Pronghorn, the first being in South Dakota. Neither of which got me so I got to Silverlake without dying. I skipped the gas station there to continue to Christmas Valley, which wasn’t very Christmas-y, where I was able to buy some cheese along with the gas. While checking my route I scarfed down my snacks and continued my 8 hour ride.
It was honestly a pretty crappy ride for the rest of the way. Highways 395, 20, 78, and 95 were high dessert with strong winds and a sun that beat me relentlessly. One of the only cool things I saw was a dirt devil off to the north of one of the roads I took. It was a perfectly visible cyclone about 30’ or 40’ tall that didn’t come towards me, so I enjoyed it. Further on the sun got so bad I tried to find somewhere to pull off but it took almost until Rome to find a picnic table with an awning. Absolutely no where was there shade to be found before that. An elderly couple stopped to walk their chihuahuas and notified me that it was 98°f, which I had no doubt was too low. I spent an hour napping the best I could on the rocks in the shade until the sun was low enough that I had no more shade so I was forced to continue on.
At the Idaho border I joyously took my helmet off, which improved my mood slightly. To have the breeze blowing my hair again... Ahhh. It’s like soaking in a pool under a waterfall in the nude. Blissful and free. Anyway, before Sommer Camps road I was slowed to turn onto it and I see these black things in the road. For the life of me I could not figure out what they were and I had to slow almost to a stop to be able to tell. The horror was that for miles the road was covered in very large black cricket looking insects and they were mating if they weren’t dead. So thankful was I that none of them could jump very high but the disgust of running them over for so long wasn’t the greatest. Never have been a fan of those little critters (sorry Jiminey) but I kept imagining one jumping up and the splatter it would cause. Eewwwwwww. Givens Hot Springs seemed to be the end of the creepy lil shits, and by then the sun was sinking enough that it was moderately cooled. The breeze from the wet farmland helped a lot in cooling me off so by the time I reached my campsite I wasn’t too hot. It was a couple three miles of gravel and I had to check a couple spots before finding the right one. Once parked I took a few photos and set my hammock right before total darkness, and gracefully climbed in to avoid the hoards of insects pounding my legs all throughout hanging my hammock. The night was relatively warm so I didn’t need my pad for the first time in ages but I used my quilt loosely for cover. And in my hammock I still remain as I finish writing this account. Up next, Palisades Idaho!
On a side note, I really adore Idaho because everything that says “Sportsman’s Access” is available for camping. It provides so many spots on the water for awesome campsites.
Ending milage: 35,163
Total miles for the day: 458
Total time riding: 8 hours
Total miles since San Jose: 1,588
It was honestly a pretty crappy ride for the rest of the way. Highways 395, 20, 78, and 95 were high dessert with strong winds and a sun that beat me relentlessly. One of the only cool things I saw was a dirt devil off to the north of one of the roads I took. It was a perfectly visible cyclone about 30’ or 40’ tall that didn’t come towards me, so I enjoyed it. Further on the sun got so bad I tried to find somewhere to pull off but it took almost until Rome to find a picnic table with an awning. Absolutely no where was there shade to be found before that. An elderly couple stopped to walk their chihuahuas and notified me that it was 98°f, which I had no doubt was too low. I spent an hour napping the best I could on the rocks in the shade until the sun was low enough that I had no more shade so I was forced to continue on.
At the Idaho border I joyously took my helmet off, which improved my mood slightly. To have the breeze blowing my hair again... Ahhh. It’s like soaking in a pool under a waterfall in the nude. Blissful and free. Anyway, before Sommer Camps road I was slowed to turn onto it and I see these black things in the road. For the life of me I could not figure out what they were and I had to slow almost to a stop to be able to tell. The horror was that for miles the road was covered in very large black cricket looking insects and they were mating if they weren’t dead. So thankful was I that none of them could jump very high but the disgust of running them over for so long wasn’t the greatest. Never have been a fan of those little critters (sorry Jiminey) but I kept imagining one jumping up and the splatter it would cause. Eewwwwwww. Givens Hot Springs seemed to be the end of the creepy lil shits, and by then the sun was sinking enough that it was moderately cooled. The breeze from the wet farmland helped a lot in cooling me off so by the time I reached my campsite I wasn’t too hot. It was a couple three miles of gravel and I had to check a couple spots before finding the right one. Once parked I took a few photos and set my hammock right before total darkness, and gracefully climbed in to avoid the hoards of insects pounding my legs all throughout hanging my hammock. The night was relatively warm so I didn’t need my pad for the first time in ages but I used my quilt loosely for cover. And in my hammock I still remain as I finish writing this account. Up next, Palisades Idaho!
On a side note, I really adore Idaho because everything that says “Sportsman’s Access” is available for camping. It provides so many spots on the water for awesome campsites.
Ending milage: 35,163
Total miles for the day: 458
Total time riding: 8 hours
Total miles since San Jose: 1,588
Day 7: July 8th, 2018
Ah, my beautiful campsite on my favorite river, the Snake River, and it was time to say goodbye. There were a few fishermen on the lake by the time I had my breakfast eaten and my bike packed but I didn’t speak to any of them. This fisherman thing seems to be the trend lately. The map said my roads for the day, chosen to avoid the interstate, started as 26 then became 20 then 26 and then 20 again. I guess it was confused which one it wanted to be but it was a pretty easy shot east. One of them took me thru the Sawtooth and Boise National Forests, or so the signs said, which I believe are new ones for my list. Unexpectedly, it also took me passed signs for the Craters of the Moon Visitor Center and I turned to go back to my second visited monument which was first gazed upon in 2016. After checking in with the rangers I decided on following thru with my promise two years ago to do the cave that required crawling to get in, the Boy Scout Cave. I knew it would be an enjoyable temperature in the cave and would be a welcomed break from the heat that I was already starting to feel. The brief ride to the parking lot went well and as I parked I noticed something on the right side of my bike. A little bird’s head was sticking out between a fairing and the engine. As much as I wanted to pick it out immediately I held off so I didn’t leave a mutilated bird in the National Monument parking lot, where someone might think it was intention. So off I went on the scorching trail to get to the entrance to Boy Scout and hoped my shorts wasn’t a bad choice that would scrap my knees.
The entrance to it was a drop down over large rocks and as the shade started so did the need to bend over and lean down to avoid smashing my head on the roof. My worries of scraping my knees never came to pass as I was able to maintain using just my hands and feet to move. Immediately the temperature dropped and a few feet in I started to see my breath plume out in front of me. As I picked my way over the rocky ground I avoided the ice as much as I could by stepping on protruding rocks that didn’t shine. There were plenty of awesome spots where the ice covered the top of a rock and I avoided touching those. The end of the cave came quickly and I took my time turning around so I could enjoy the cold for a bit longer. As much as I wanted to live in the cave forever to avoid the outside heat I had to walk back to my bike and get going else I wouldn’t finish the ride to Palisades.
Back on my bike and the heat of the afternoon was in full force. After half an hour I stopped at a rest stop to catch a break and cover my right leg that was getting beat relentlessly by the sun. There just so happened to be a one foot deep creek at the rest area and I decided to soak my hoodie, shirts, and short by lying in the water. I got my feet dried and boots back on when I got caught up with a slightly awkward conversation with a guy who liked my helmet. I had to say goodbye though because I could feel the heat evaporating my watered clothing and I wanted to make Idaho Falls before my next break. Half an hour in and my clothes were pretty much dried. I passed thru Arco and remembered going into the Family Dollar and eating at Pickle’s Place, way back when I had money to spend on such things. Soon I came into town and settled on a Taco Bell to waste an hour before finishing the last hour of the day.
The road became much cooler as I got closer to the Wyoming border, and the sun sinking helped too. The campsite I found online was a bit crowded for my tastes but there was a pull off I noted about two miles back that I liked the look of. That’s where I made camp with plenty of time to spare before dark. Once it was dark I completed my hammock ensemble and enjoyed reading a book. It was fortunate I stayed up as late as I did because lightning and thunder started. I pleaded with Mother Nature to cut it out but had to relent and toss my tarp up. The rain was pretty brief but at least I didn’t waste my efforts and finally dozed off close to 0100.
Random thoughts:
Why do ADV riders keep passing me standing on their bikes on perfectly smooth, paved roads?
For the first time I’m thankful for farmland, the watering cools the area off nicely.
Ending Mileage: 35,471
Total miles for the day: 308
Total time riding: 5.5 hours
Total miles since San Jose: 1,896
The entrance to it was a drop down over large rocks and as the shade started so did the need to bend over and lean down to avoid smashing my head on the roof. My worries of scraping my knees never came to pass as I was able to maintain using just my hands and feet to move. Immediately the temperature dropped and a few feet in I started to see my breath plume out in front of me. As I picked my way over the rocky ground I avoided the ice as much as I could by stepping on protruding rocks that didn’t shine. There were plenty of awesome spots where the ice covered the top of a rock and I avoided touching those. The end of the cave came quickly and I took my time turning around so I could enjoy the cold for a bit longer. As much as I wanted to live in the cave forever to avoid the outside heat I had to walk back to my bike and get going else I wouldn’t finish the ride to Palisades.
Back on my bike and the heat of the afternoon was in full force. After half an hour I stopped at a rest stop to catch a break and cover my right leg that was getting beat relentlessly by the sun. There just so happened to be a one foot deep creek at the rest area and I decided to soak my hoodie, shirts, and short by lying in the water. I got my feet dried and boots back on when I got caught up with a slightly awkward conversation with a guy who liked my helmet. I had to say goodbye though because I could feel the heat evaporating my watered clothing and I wanted to make Idaho Falls before my next break. Half an hour in and my clothes were pretty much dried. I passed thru Arco and remembered going into the Family Dollar and eating at Pickle’s Place, way back when I had money to spend on such things. Soon I came into town and settled on a Taco Bell to waste an hour before finishing the last hour of the day.
The road became much cooler as I got closer to the Wyoming border, and the sun sinking helped too. The campsite I found online was a bit crowded for my tastes but there was a pull off I noted about two miles back that I liked the look of. That’s where I made camp with plenty of time to spare before dark. Once it was dark I completed my hammock ensemble and enjoyed reading a book. It was fortunate I stayed up as late as I did because lightning and thunder started. I pleaded with Mother Nature to cut it out but had to relent and toss my tarp up. The rain was pretty brief but at least I didn’t waste my efforts and finally dozed off close to 0100.
Random thoughts:
Why do ADV riders keep passing me standing on their bikes on perfectly smooth, paved roads?
For the first time I’m thankful for farmland, the watering cools the area off nicely.
Ending Mileage: 35,471
Total miles for the day: 308
Total time riding: 5.5 hours
Total miles since San Jose: 1,896
Day 8: July 9th, 2018
Having stayed up late, I woke up late and was pissed at myself for it. I knew I had a long day of riding to get from my campsite near Palisades, ID to Powell, WY by taking the National Parks route. It was 0930 as I started towards the awful town of Jack$on, by awful I mean full of rich people who hiked the prices of land and living so high normal people don’t stand a chance, and I fueled up somewhere along the way. Once I was thru the speed trap, I got stuck waiting for construction and my right leg just happened to catch fire. Even with my jeans on, the sun beating on that side of me made my sun burns hurt. To solve my problem, I took my bottle out and rubbed water into my pants. It helped considerably. Soon I turned into the Grand Teton National Park entrance and figured out that last time I was in the area I only rode near them. I found some fantastic spots for photos but since I knew I had a long day I didn’t dilly dally a whole lot. Plus, spots like Jenny Lake were badly over crowded and I don’t do crowds very well.
A good fifteen minute wait at the South Gate and I was in Yellowstone where my only goal was to see Old Faithful erupt. At this point if I describe all of the bad drivers, stupid road conditions, and issues I had it would take forever. To skip ahead, I got to Old Faithful and was about 30 minutes early for the next eruption. I spoke to a few people while waiting, watched it erupt, hit the bathroom, then ate a snack while waiting for the parking lot to clear out a bit. Soon I was in full “get TF out of here” mode and it really did take hours to get out of the reach of the moronic road conditions. To save time I took the fast route towards Powell, which skipped the Chief Joseph highway, which still had me stuck in parking lot conditions when there was one buffalo by the road, and it started to rain. It was baffling to see people within 30’ of this large male Buffalo, taking photos. It’s the exact reason people die every year from them.
Another gas stop at Canyon Village, construction by Yellowstone Lake, my leg on fire again, and the lady behind me offering her car’s AC was the end of my frustrations because I finally hit the east entrance. Highway 14 from there on it proved to be a gorgeous road with much less traffic and I was able to chill out as I finished the last couple hours to Shawnee’s house.
1900 was the time I got parked in Shawnee’s driveway where she was making guacamole for me. Mike made a burger for my dinner and we sat around chatting until I passed smooth out on the couch.
Ending milage: 35,774
Total miles for the day: 273
Total time riding: All damn day
Total miles since San Jose: 2,199
A good fifteen minute wait at the South Gate and I was in Yellowstone where my only goal was to see Old Faithful erupt. At this point if I describe all of the bad drivers, stupid road conditions, and issues I had it would take forever. To skip ahead, I got to Old Faithful and was about 30 minutes early for the next eruption. I spoke to a few people while waiting, watched it erupt, hit the bathroom, then ate a snack while waiting for the parking lot to clear out a bit. Soon I was in full “get TF out of here” mode and it really did take hours to get out of the reach of the moronic road conditions. To save time I took the fast route towards Powell, which skipped the Chief Joseph highway, which still had me stuck in parking lot conditions when there was one buffalo by the road, and it started to rain. It was baffling to see people within 30’ of this large male Buffalo, taking photos. It’s the exact reason people die every year from them.
Another gas stop at Canyon Village, construction by Yellowstone Lake, my leg on fire again, and the lady behind me offering her car’s AC was the end of my frustrations because I finally hit the east entrance. Highway 14 from there on it proved to be a gorgeous road with much less traffic and I was able to chill out as I finished the last couple hours to Shawnee’s house.
1900 was the time I got parked in Shawnee’s driveway where she was making guacamole for me. Mike made a burger for my dinner and we sat around chatting until I passed smooth out on the couch.
Ending milage: 35,774
Total miles for the day: 273
Total time riding: All damn day
Total miles since San Jose: 2,199
Day 9: July 10th, 2018
Three of us had a lazy morning deciding what to do for the day, most of that decision being on me. Since AJ rolled in around 0530, we were waiting awhile to get moving so he could catch a few hours of sleep. The options were either to go out on the boat or ride the scenic roads. Since it was a pretty hot day, and I had been riding for the last week straight, I was okay with riding the high elevation scenic roads now and relaxing on the boat later instead trying to take off the next day. So a little before noon, after having gotten AJ up, we said “see ya later” to Shawnee so I could show him my favorite place in the country.
It took about half an hour of typical Wyoming scenery before we made the turn onto highway 296, the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway. We made great time on the sweeping curves, stopping for a couple photo here and there or to wait out traffic. It was both of our’s first time on it and there was quite a bit of hype around it. I found it to be nice riding with less traffic but not nearly as breathtaking as I remembered Beartooth to be. The road ended too soon where we dead ended at highway 212, the Beartooth Scenic Byway.
Heading east onto 212 I made AJ stop a bazillion times for photos, at the Top of the World store, and then construction got us a couple times. It was all good though because it was a day to sightsee, the weather was fantastic, and because when it was time to go I wanted to ride it again going west. I was in euphoria riding along in those mountains, and extremely pleased that it was just as amazing as I remembered. This time it was warm and sunny, so much so that a hoodie wasn’t even needed, and a welcomed improvement on the freezing ride it was the last time. The sky was clear, the breeze was light, and.... There was a buttload of mosquitos ready to get you if you stopped. Having seen the best views by the time the descent into Red Lodge started we rode it hard and arrived in town ready for a drink and some late lunch.
AJ is a fan of microbrews so we stopped at the only brewery in town where we got about the worst service ever to start out with. We were both too high off of the ride to care and eventually got a young and enthusiastic pup as a waiter. We sat there for a couple hours to talk about the ride while eating, he had the nachos and I had some wings. Before it started to get too late and too cold, we went back to Powell where we spent the evening around the fire pit eating burgers and drinking beer. It was lights out for me around midnight because the beer hit me harder than I expected.
Ending milage: 35,968
Total miles for the day: 194
Total time riding: 4.5 hours
Total miles since San Jose: 2,393
It took about half an hour of typical Wyoming scenery before we made the turn onto highway 296, the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway. We made great time on the sweeping curves, stopping for a couple photo here and there or to wait out traffic. It was both of our’s first time on it and there was quite a bit of hype around it. I found it to be nice riding with less traffic but not nearly as breathtaking as I remembered Beartooth to be. The road ended too soon where we dead ended at highway 212, the Beartooth Scenic Byway.
Heading east onto 212 I made AJ stop a bazillion times for photos, at the Top of the World store, and then construction got us a couple times. It was all good though because it was a day to sightsee, the weather was fantastic, and because when it was time to go I wanted to ride it again going west. I was in euphoria riding along in those mountains, and extremely pleased that it was just as amazing as I remembered. This time it was warm and sunny, so much so that a hoodie wasn’t even needed, and a welcomed improvement on the freezing ride it was the last time. The sky was clear, the breeze was light, and.... There was a buttload of mosquitos ready to get you if you stopped. Having seen the best views by the time the descent into Red Lodge started we rode it hard and arrived in town ready for a drink and some late lunch.
AJ is a fan of microbrews so we stopped at the only brewery in town where we got about the worst service ever to start out with. We were both too high off of the ride to care and eventually got a young and enthusiastic pup as a waiter. We sat there for a couple hours to talk about the ride while eating, he had the nachos and I had some wings. Before it started to get too late and too cold, we went back to Powell where we spent the evening around the fire pit eating burgers and drinking beer. It was lights out for me around midnight because the beer hit me harder than I expected.
Ending milage: 35,968
Total miles for the day: 194
Total time riding: 4.5 hours
Total miles since San Jose: 2,393
Day 10: July 11th, 2018
Come to find out, morning’s are always lazy around the Mike and Shawnee house so we didn’t head out for the lake with the boat until after noon. AJ had ran off to get the supplies for an oil change in Cody and we waited for him as long as possible. When he said he was almost there and fifteen minutes passed we assumed he road to the lake and left out.
Once at the boat dock I tried to call him but got no answer so we set the boat in the water and took off for a scenic ride in the canyon. It was fantastic getting to see the river in the canyon from the water’s perspective for once. Usually I’m on the view points looking down so it was a nice change of pace. The water was a little choppy to start out but it smoothed out fairly well so I could sit at the front of the boat. We came upon some bighorn sheep walking along the cliff, and I got to take horrible photos of them! They most certainly weren’t going to come down to the water with us there so we continued on to check out the floating outhouse further up stream.
As we’re pulling up to the outhouse Mike said “I think that’s AJ”. I said “there’s no way” but lo and behold, there he was in the shade of the outhouse. So with our addition to the boat we kept going north for awhile, saw another floating outhouse, and turned around. When we arrived at the first outhouse on the water I got off with AJ so I could get back to the house quicker. I was starving!
Back at the house, AJ did his oil change and I read a book while eating some jerky. It took Shawnee and Mike longer to return than I expected but there was a good reason. Some ladies had kayaked too far up the canyon and they were nice enough to load up them and their boat to take them back to the parking lot. So had we been with the boat, there wouldn’t have been room for the tired women to hitch a ride. It’s amazing how things work out like that.
For the evening AJ treated us to dinner, then there was some hot tub time and chilling. It was a nice place to relax for a few days with wonderful people like Mike and Shawnee.
Ending milage: 35,968
Total miles for the day: 0
Total time riding: 0
Total miles since San Jose: 2,393
Once at the boat dock I tried to call him but got no answer so we set the boat in the water and took off for a scenic ride in the canyon. It was fantastic getting to see the river in the canyon from the water’s perspective for once. Usually I’m on the view points looking down so it was a nice change of pace. The water was a little choppy to start out but it smoothed out fairly well so I could sit at the front of the boat. We came upon some bighorn sheep walking along the cliff, and I got to take horrible photos of them! They most certainly weren’t going to come down to the water with us there so we continued on to check out the floating outhouse further up stream.
As we’re pulling up to the outhouse Mike said “I think that’s AJ”. I said “there’s no way” but lo and behold, there he was in the shade of the outhouse. So with our addition to the boat we kept going north for awhile, saw another floating outhouse, and turned around. When we arrived at the first outhouse on the water I got off with AJ so I could get back to the house quicker. I was starving!
Back at the house, AJ did his oil change and I read a book while eating some jerky. It took Shawnee and Mike longer to return than I expected but there was a good reason. Some ladies had kayaked too far up the canyon and they were nice enough to load up them and their boat to take them back to the parking lot. So had we been with the boat, there wouldn’t have been room for the tired women to hitch a ride. It’s amazing how things work out like that.
For the evening AJ treated us to dinner, then there was some hot tub time and chilling. It was a nice place to relax for a few days with wonderful people like Mike and Shawnee.
Ending milage: 35,968
Total miles for the day: 0
Total time riding: 0
Total miles since San Jose: 2,393
Day 11: July 12th, 2018
After promising to come back when either AJ or I get the chance, we rode off to hit Beartooth from east to west. It was another spectacular day of weather with not too much traffic, which blew my mind. We hit the curves going up hard and then stopped at a spot I recognized from 2016 for a few minutes. It was pleasant for me to find “one of my spots” where I could reminisce and re-take a few photos. Then we hit the construction east of the Top of the World Store where I got attacked by a hoard of squeeters, and were on our merry way to Cooke City.
Surprisingly enough there was much less traffic thru Cooke City and all the way to Tower Junction than I expected. Most of the traffic was going east so our western movement wasn’t halted as much by the massive amounts of bison along the way and the people who insist on stopping in the road to stare at them. Shawnee has said we would see them along this route and we sure did. None got in the road so the Yellowstone tourist traffic didn’t start until Grand Loop Road and was a pain in the ass until about Gardiner. At one of the tiny villages there were elk sitting on the manicured lawn and despite it being my first time to really see them, I kept going because I wasn’t going to be one of the gawking tourists. Plus, it’s not a really impressive photo since they seemed half domesticated with how much they just ignored the humans. To this date I’ve been in or out of the south, northeast, east, west and north entrances, which I believe is all of the major ones.
Next was north on 89 and west on I-90 to Bozeman. These were roads that killed my gas mileage because of the high speed limits and the sun pushing us to get it down. We stopped in Bozeman for dinner, which I had a plate of meat and cheese while he had lamb sliders, and we continued to the BLM land east of Butte that we would call home for the night. Most of the really great spots were taken by vans and RVs so we had to get pretty far into the area to find an empty spot. It was up a sandy hill and then we parked up another sandy hill to avoid being in the path. I knew it was going to be a pain in the morning but pushed it out of mind as I set up my hammock. I was determined to get it hung between about the only two good trees on the hill and used an ingenious rock to pull a fluffy branch out of my way for the night. The only issue I had was that I was so low that I had to de-weed under my hammock and it was quite the funny struggle to achieve that. Our neighbors were a bunch of curious cows, and in particular a white faced one that investigated us and our bikes. As it got dark closer to 2300 the cows moved off to huddle and quieted down while we shared a little moonshine. Then it was time for a fitful night’s rest.
Thought of the Day: Bison are just prairie cows.
Ending milage: 36,303
Total miles for the day: 375
Total time riding: 6.75 hours
Total miles since San Jose: 2,728
Surprisingly enough there was much less traffic thru Cooke City and all the way to Tower Junction than I expected. Most of the traffic was going east so our western movement wasn’t halted as much by the massive amounts of bison along the way and the people who insist on stopping in the road to stare at them. Shawnee has said we would see them along this route and we sure did. None got in the road so the Yellowstone tourist traffic didn’t start until Grand Loop Road and was a pain in the ass until about Gardiner. At one of the tiny villages there were elk sitting on the manicured lawn and despite it being my first time to really see them, I kept going because I wasn’t going to be one of the gawking tourists. Plus, it’s not a really impressive photo since they seemed half domesticated with how much they just ignored the humans. To this date I’ve been in or out of the south, northeast, east, west and north entrances, which I believe is all of the major ones.
Next was north on 89 and west on I-90 to Bozeman. These were roads that killed my gas mileage because of the high speed limits and the sun pushing us to get it down. We stopped in Bozeman for dinner, which I had a plate of meat and cheese while he had lamb sliders, and we continued to the BLM land east of Butte that we would call home for the night. Most of the really great spots were taken by vans and RVs so we had to get pretty far into the area to find an empty spot. It was up a sandy hill and then we parked up another sandy hill to avoid being in the path. I knew it was going to be a pain in the morning but pushed it out of mind as I set up my hammock. I was determined to get it hung between about the only two good trees on the hill and used an ingenious rock to pull a fluffy branch out of my way for the night. The only issue I had was that I was so low that I had to de-weed under my hammock and it was quite the funny struggle to achieve that. Our neighbors were a bunch of curious cows, and in particular a white faced one that investigated us and our bikes. As it got dark closer to 2300 the cows moved off to huddle and quieted down while we shared a little moonshine. Then it was time for a fitful night’s rest.
Thought of the Day: Bison are just prairie cows.
Ending milage: 36,303
Total miles for the day: 375
Total time riding: 6.75 hours
Total miles since San Jose: 2,728
Day 12: July 13th, 2018
Depending on whether I’m in the sun or the shade as the sun rises will depend on what time I get up. Since my hammock on the other side of a tree from the sun I slept in a little later than usual, about 0830. I ate my breakfast and then AJ and I started to pack. I finished first and got my bike down the slippery sand road where I waited for him. He was struggling on the incline so I went up to push where needed and all was well and good until he tried to ride down too much of an angled decline. The bike got dropped, we picked it up, and he got it down the hill. So all was well with his adventure Harley and we made it to Butte for gas and a Walmart restock.
Since my MPG dropped from 70ish to 50ish on the interstate the night before and our path was the start west as soon as the roads presented themselves to go that way, I avoided the interstate with the Google Maps setting. Which took us down some gravel roads I know AJ wasn’t too happy about because of our morning... But we survived and were moving west on 43 when a lady named Phyllis hit me up to meet. Seeing as how we were going to stop in Lolo for dinner anyway, I invited her to join us. She recommended we stop at the Big Hole National Battlefield on the way so that’s what I did. 43 was a gorgeous ride thru Montana country side and I just kept thinking this state couldn’t be ugly if it tried. The traffic was sparse and the cows were fenced in which made the ride smooth. Once we hit Wisdom it was just a couple miles to the Battlefield. We spent about half an hour reading the plaques before continuing on and heading north on 93.
There was a sign that said “Idaho” and with that sign came badly maintained roads. So for a couple miles it sucked until it smoothed back out again. It was pretty hot so riding next to a river really made me want to stop and swim but we had a lunch date. The only stop we did were a Lewis and Clark historical point.
Once at the restaurant, Phyllis had been waiting for us for a little while so we went right in and sat down. We had a wonderful time chatting and eating fancy tacos so she wanted to keep us around a bit longer. She set us up with a travel trailer at her friend’s cabin near Stevensville. We got a chance to bathe and a place to lay our heads for the night, which was really nice of her. The sunset was spectacular and then I went to lie down because I was wiped from my bad night of sleep the day before.
Ending milage: 36,514
Total miles for the day: 211
Total time riding: 4.5 hours
Total miles since San Jose: 2,939
Since my MPG dropped from 70ish to 50ish on the interstate the night before and our path was the start west as soon as the roads presented themselves to go that way, I avoided the interstate with the Google Maps setting. Which took us down some gravel roads I know AJ wasn’t too happy about because of our morning... But we survived and were moving west on 43 when a lady named Phyllis hit me up to meet. Seeing as how we were going to stop in Lolo for dinner anyway, I invited her to join us. She recommended we stop at the Big Hole National Battlefield on the way so that’s what I did. 43 was a gorgeous ride thru Montana country side and I just kept thinking this state couldn’t be ugly if it tried. The traffic was sparse and the cows were fenced in which made the ride smooth. Once we hit Wisdom it was just a couple miles to the Battlefield. We spent about half an hour reading the plaques before continuing on and heading north on 93.
There was a sign that said “Idaho” and with that sign came badly maintained roads. So for a couple miles it sucked until it smoothed back out again. It was pretty hot so riding next to a river really made me want to stop and swim but we had a lunch date. The only stop we did were a Lewis and Clark historical point.
Once at the restaurant, Phyllis had been waiting for us for a little while so we went right in and sat down. We had a wonderful time chatting and eating fancy tacos so she wanted to keep us around a bit longer. She set us up with a travel trailer at her friend’s cabin near Stevensville. We got a chance to bathe and a place to lay our heads for the night, which was really nice of her. The sunset was spectacular and then I went to lie down because I was wiped from my bad night of sleep the day before.
Ending milage: 36,514
Total miles for the day: 211
Total time riding: 4.5 hours
Total miles since San Jose: 2,939
Day 13: July 14th, 2018
The supposed idea for the day was to ride Lolo pass and come back but all I really wanted to do was chill out. So AJ went off to ride it while I did what amounted to nothing most of the day and took a nap. Ducker showed up, the owner of the cabin, so she and Phyl worked on the yard for the afternoon. AJ returned in the evening and was nice enough to cook bacon, green beans, steak, mushrooms, peppers and chicken for all of us. We sat outside bullshitting, drinking beer, sharing moonshine and rum, and having a grand ole time. It was a couple days before Ducker’s birthday so it was an impromptu party. It was a great time but we all went to bed about 0030 since we aren’t the young people we used to be. Hahahaha.
Ending milage: 36,514
Total miles for the day: 0
Total time riding: 0
Total miles since San Jose: 2,939
Ending milage: 36,514
Total miles for the day: 0
Total time riding: 0
Total miles since San Jose: 2,939
Day 14: July 15th, 2018
Because it slipped my mind that I needed to check my pad for a leak we got out of the cabin a little late for the road north. It’s all good though since I found the leak and we still had plenty of time to make it to West Glacier for camp. At Lolo pass I turned to ride part of it but before we could get far I had to stop so I could keep reception while a friend was looking at a bike for me. That took about an hour and then we were able to head on. At the Idaho border the road became too chopped up to be able to enjoy the ride so we turned around to continue 93 north instead. Also, I’m now the proud owner of a XR200 that’s in Missouri and needs to be moved to OKC. 😂 I’m extremely excited to have this bike bought and I spent most of the day thinking about what I want to do to it.
93 was hot, so was 200, and so was most of 83. On 200 we attempted to ride to Garnet Ghost Town but decided against 13 miles of very wash boarded road. 83 was thru the forest and was mostly straight. We made good time with the 70mph speed limits until a deer on crack jumped out in front of me. First it went one way, turned around, turned around again, and then jumped off the road. My training had nothing for the confused, drugged up deer antics so I was 100% prepared for a fairly slow smack. Luckily that didn’t happen and we continued on to Colombia Falls for gas.
After stocking up for the night I drag AJ down more miles of gravel road, and this one being the dustiest I’ve ever seen. The trees were coated and there were a lot of places we couldn’t see at all. As soon as we got to the reservoir we took the first road to the water, parked, walked around until we found a spot, and set up. Once my hammock was hung on the cliff edge I climbed down to wash the dust off. For dinner we had a picnic of leftover food cooked at the cabin while playing cards. It was a fantastic evening to sit and watch the sun set over the water. We did have one very annoying neighbor come talk to us. He just happened to have his cruddy trailer parked nearby but my want to not talk drove the obvious squatter off to friendlier areas. This night was one of the best night’s of sleep I’ve had in a long while.
Ending milage: 36,789
Total miles for the day: 275
Total time riding: 5.5 hours
Total miles since San Jose: 3,214
93 was hot, so was 200, and so was most of 83. On 200 we attempted to ride to Garnet Ghost Town but decided against 13 miles of very wash boarded road. 83 was thru the forest and was mostly straight. We made good time with the 70mph speed limits until a deer on crack jumped out in front of me. First it went one way, turned around, turned around again, and then jumped off the road. My training had nothing for the confused, drugged up deer antics so I was 100% prepared for a fairly slow smack. Luckily that didn’t happen and we continued on to Colombia Falls for gas.
After stocking up for the night I drag AJ down more miles of gravel road, and this one being the dustiest I’ve ever seen. The trees were coated and there were a lot of places we couldn’t see at all. As soon as we got to the reservoir we took the first road to the water, parked, walked around until we found a spot, and set up. Once my hammock was hung on the cliff edge I climbed down to wash the dust off. For dinner we had a picnic of leftover food cooked at the cabin while playing cards. It was a fantastic evening to sit and watch the sun set over the water. We did have one very annoying neighbor come talk to us. He just happened to have his cruddy trailer parked nearby but my want to not talk drove the obvious squatter off to friendlier areas. This night was one of the best night’s of sleep I’ve had in a long while.
Ending milage: 36,789
Total miles for the day: 275
Total time riding: 5.5 hours
Total miles since San Jose: 3,214
Day 15: July 16th, 2018
It was after 0700 when we started getting packed up and I was done first so I left AJ behind with the squatter while I rode to the bathrooms. He joined me as quick as he could and we started out for Glacier National Park and Going to the Sun road.
The beginning of our road was a stop at Apgar for my crushed pennies and tokens plus AJ’s post cards and shirt. We had a little breakfast and coffee and started out on a very slow ride thru the park. Not only does traffic run 15-35mph but in many areas it’s nice to look around anyway. We made multiple stops along Lake MacDonald, the creeks that connect to it, and any views we could find. Both of us wanted to take our time and experience the park as best as we could so many photos were taken.
As the scenery got higher and with more distant views, the traffic got slower. We used many of the pull outs and even set up a shot at the Weeping Wall of me riding thru it. We actually stopped so much that by the time Saint Mary Lake came up we hiked to Rising Sun Peak and were done with the park. Though the hike was quite interesting and I can’t forget to tell this story. The sign said “0.1 miles” to the peak, agree that was fine, and then we walked. And walked. And another sign said “0.1 miles”. I have to say it was the longest .1 miles in my life. We then exited the park to get gas when I met some fellow CB500x riders from Facebook. They recognized my bike which was the coolest thing ever. We chatted for a bit and then started north. For the first time there were horses in the road instead of cows and then the border was there.
During the whole park we played leap frog with a couple on an Africa Twin with a dog. At the border I got thru first and saw the couple sitting in the shade by the Canada sign. I pulled up to chat with them while waiting for my companion. We got to talking and hitting it off so well that Guy invited us to his place is Sparwood, which was on our way to Banff. It was mighty kind of him so I took his address down and we went off to Waterton National Park to see what was going on there.
I can’t say I have much to say about Waterton. The previous year fires decimated the place and most of it was still shut down. The visitor center had been burned down too so we couldn’t even buy swag. The only memorable thing we did was have a beer and some chili at the pub before heading to Sparwood.
On the way we stopped at Walmart and I was in the middle of one of my blood sugar crashes. It made staying awake and riding near impossible but I pushed thru until it passed. The ride was pleasantly thru some mountainous area and we pulled in around 21:30. Guy had been expecting us much sooner but with playing tourist we tended to take a long time.
For the evening we all got a shower, separately, in Guy’s horse trailer house, ate some chicken and apple pie fritters, then talked until almost midnight. Guy has a lovely piece of land with horses in the middle of the country and I enjoyed he quiet solitude of the area. And what followed was yet another solid night of sleep. A record for me.
Ending milage: 36,996
Total miles for the day: 207
Total time riding: 5 hours
Total miles since San Jose: 3,421
The beginning of our road was a stop at Apgar for my crushed pennies and tokens plus AJ’s post cards and shirt. We had a little breakfast and coffee and started out on a very slow ride thru the park. Not only does traffic run 15-35mph but in many areas it’s nice to look around anyway. We made multiple stops along Lake MacDonald, the creeks that connect to it, and any views we could find. Both of us wanted to take our time and experience the park as best as we could so many photos were taken.
As the scenery got higher and with more distant views, the traffic got slower. We used many of the pull outs and even set up a shot at the Weeping Wall of me riding thru it. We actually stopped so much that by the time Saint Mary Lake came up we hiked to Rising Sun Peak and were done with the park. Though the hike was quite interesting and I can’t forget to tell this story. The sign said “0.1 miles” to the peak, agree that was fine, and then we walked. And walked. And another sign said “0.1 miles”. I have to say it was the longest .1 miles in my life. We then exited the park to get gas when I met some fellow CB500x riders from Facebook. They recognized my bike which was the coolest thing ever. We chatted for a bit and then started north. For the first time there were horses in the road instead of cows and then the border was there.
During the whole park we played leap frog with a couple on an Africa Twin with a dog. At the border I got thru first and saw the couple sitting in the shade by the Canada sign. I pulled up to chat with them while waiting for my companion. We got to talking and hitting it off so well that Guy invited us to his place is Sparwood, which was on our way to Banff. It was mighty kind of him so I took his address down and we went off to Waterton National Park to see what was going on there.
I can’t say I have much to say about Waterton. The previous year fires decimated the place and most of it was still shut down. The visitor center had been burned down too so we couldn’t even buy swag. The only memorable thing we did was have a beer and some chili at the pub before heading to Sparwood.
On the way we stopped at Walmart and I was in the middle of one of my blood sugar crashes. It made staying awake and riding near impossible but I pushed thru until it passed. The ride was pleasantly thru some mountainous area and we pulled in around 21:30. Guy had been expecting us much sooner but with playing tourist we tended to take a long time.
For the evening we all got a shower, separately, in Guy’s horse trailer house, ate some chicken and apple pie fritters, then talked until almost midnight. Guy has a lovely piece of land with horses in the middle of the country and I enjoyed he quiet solitude of the area. And what followed was yet another solid night of sleep. A record for me.
Ending milage: 36,996
Total miles for the day: 207
Total time riding: 5 hours
Total miles since San Jose: 3,421
Day 16: July 17th, 2018
Oh, what a frustrating day. In the morning Guy had to leave to throw hay with a friend and we got ready. We waited a couple hours but had to get going before he returned so I left my card in the hopes he would contact me. All was well and fine to that point until I noticed my back tire. I saw some definite signs of it giving out soon. It came unexpectedly because the last tire of the same kind lasted 6,000 miles longer so I wasn’t even watching it. It ended up on my mind all the way to Radium Hot Springs and by that point I knew it wasn’t going to make it to Jasper and back. So began my two hour ordeal trying to find a tire.
My first place to call was Mountain Motorsports which was the closest to us. My first call was unsuccessful and I was to call back in 30 minutes to speak to the “street tire expert”. So I called. Nothing. Called again. Still the same excuse. One guy told me they had a tire of my size in stock but he was unable to recommend it because he wasn’t the expert. To this moment I can’t figure out why a tire of perfect size wouldn’t work on my bike... So I was utterly fed up with that useless shop. Next I tried one in Cranbrook. No tire of my size. Desperate at this point I called All Seasons Motorsports and voila! A tire has been found for a reasonable Canadian price. But we can’t make it back before the shop closes. Damnit.
Back down 95 we go and head to the only brewery in town; The Heid Out. There we spent a few hours killing the 94° day until it was evening and time to go to camp. Luckily the food and beer were superb so we weren’t struggling to wait around. Camp was in Fort Steele and it was a nice spot... when we finally decided on it. We had to check a few places and debate on the plausibility of them. But it didn’t have too much people noise, a little river running sounds in the background, and I again slept like a rock. Unfathomable.
Ending milage: 37,236
Total miles for the day: 240
Total time riding: 4 hours
Total miles since San Jose: 3,661
My first place to call was Mountain Motorsports which was the closest to us. My first call was unsuccessful and I was to call back in 30 minutes to speak to the “street tire expert”. So I called. Nothing. Called again. Still the same excuse. One guy told me they had a tire of my size in stock but he was unable to recommend it because he wasn’t the expert. To this moment I can’t figure out why a tire of perfect size wouldn’t work on my bike... So I was utterly fed up with that useless shop. Next I tried one in Cranbrook. No tire of my size. Desperate at this point I called All Seasons Motorsports and voila! A tire has been found for a reasonable Canadian price. But we can’t make it back before the shop closes. Damnit.
Back down 95 we go and head to the only brewery in town; The Heid Out. There we spent a few hours killing the 94° day until it was evening and time to go to camp. Luckily the food and beer were superb so we weren’t struggling to wait around. Camp was in Fort Steele and it was a nice spot... when we finally decided on it. We had to check a few places and debate on the plausibility of them. But it didn’t have too much people noise, a little river running sounds in the background, and I again slept like a rock. Unfathomable.
Ending milage: 37,236
Total miles for the day: 240
Total time riding: 4 hours
Total miles since San Jose: 3,661
Day 17: July 18th, 2018
Again, I slept later than anticipated because the campsite was so quiet, I was relaxed, and I stayed up a bit late. It was pretty surprising because it was filled with a variety of vehicles which usually means a lot of noise. So it was about 0930 before we rolled into All Seasons and another hour and a half to get my tire swapped. It cost a whopping $230usd for a tire that in America costs $90. It hurt. It hurt bad. But I really wanted to get moving so I could FINALLY see Jasper so I wasn’t gonna let that stop me.
Back up 95 to Radium, and I never want to see that stretch of road again, then a fill up on gas and finally onto new roads. 93 thru the Koontenay National Park takes you straight from boring road to gorgeous scenery in .02 seconds. We stopped at the first overlook to read the plaques and were taking our sweet time riding the road. Suddenly the traffic slowed down and it was because a male bighorn sheep was trotting down the on coming lane like nobody’s business. Hey, at least he was in the right lane. We stopped for some more photos on the Koontenay River and then hit old highway 1a. Unfortunately 1a was shut down about 8 miles north so to get to Lake Louise we had to back track and that’s when the weather started to turn.
Close to the exit for Lake Louise, massively sized, cold raindrops started to fall from the sky and I took us to the first awning I could find at a gas station. As we were waiting for the rain to pass about six other bikes came to join us and there was one hiker with her backpack there too. AJ and I waited until it seemed like it would clear up and started to Lake Louise. I had chosen Louise over Moraine because I had seen Moraine last year and because Louise was closer. But stupid Zee made the wrong turn and ended up having to sit under a tiny plaque with a roof when the rain kicked up again. It was a little worrisome because I was wet and cold, which could cause dangerous situations if the weather didn’t clear so I could dry off before dark. It did clear enough and we made our way to Moraine Lake where we took some photos and attempted to get food (they were closed). During the process I dried off a little bit.
From Moraine we again hopped on 93 towards Jasper and this is when this adventure started to get amazing for me. My whole life I wanted to see a bear and I got to see a mama brown and two cubs in the road. From there I got to experience the sun reversing as I rode further north where the days are longer. I can’t even describe what it’s like to see the sun move east in the sky. Really. You have to experience it for yourself. We stopped at the Icefields Visitor Center and I shrugged on my jacket, which later became unneeded because it got hot again. Everything was overwhelming and I was having a grand time taking in the new around me when I saw ANOTHER BEAR. This time a little black bear crossed the street and fed in the grass below so I was able to pull on the shoulder and take a couple photos. They’re such amazing creatures and I’m still surprised it took going all the way to Jasper to see not one, but four. Now to complete my personal checklist I need to see a moose, caribou, and grizzly. One day.
I was kinda upset because the lighting was poor for photography, the west side being the better side but the sun too far set to see anything other than shadows. So to get over the disappointment I resolved to ride in the morning and stop at every view point to take photos. That decision improved my mood but not more than stopping at the Jasper Brewing Company where AJ treated us to beer and dinner. We got to watch the sky be light well until 2300 while sipping a beer. Then headed off to camp and laid down after midnight with light still in the sky. The winds were blowing hard so we both knew a storm was coming.
Ending milage: 37,600
Total miles for the day: 364
Total time riding: A long time
Total miles since San Jose: 4,025
Back up 95 to Radium, and I never want to see that stretch of road again, then a fill up on gas and finally onto new roads. 93 thru the Koontenay National Park takes you straight from boring road to gorgeous scenery in .02 seconds. We stopped at the first overlook to read the plaques and were taking our sweet time riding the road. Suddenly the traffic slowed down and it was because a male bighorn sheep was trotting down the on coming lane like nobody’s business. Hey, at least he was in the right lane. We stopped for some more photos on the Koontenay River and then hit old highway 1a. Unfortunately 1a was shut down about 8 miles north so to get to Lake Louise we had to back track and that’s when the weather started to turn.
Close to the exit for Lake Louise, massively sized, cold raindrops started to fall from the sky and I took us to the first awning I could find at a gas station. As we were waiting for the rain to pass about six other bikes came to join us and there was one hiker with her backpack there too. AJ and I waited until it seemed like it would clear up and started to Lake Louise. I had chosen Louise over Moraine because I had seen Moraine last year and because Louise was closer. But stupid Zee made the wrong turn and ended up having to sit under a tiny plaque with a roof when the rain kicked up again. It was a little worrisome because I was wet and cold, which could cause dangerous situations if the weather didn’t clear so I could dry off before dark. It did clear enough and we made our way to Moraine Lake where we took some photos and attempted to get food (they were closed). During the process I dried off a little bit.
From Moraine we again hopped on 93 towards Jasper and this is when this adventure started to get amazing for me. My whole life I wanted to see a bear and I got to see a mama brown and two cubs in the road. From there I got to experience the sun reversing as I rode further north where the days are longer. I can’t even describe what it’s like to see the sun move east in the sky. Really. You have to experience it for yourself. We stopped at the Icefields Visitor Center and I shrugged on my jacket, which later became unneeded because it got hot again. Everything was overwhelming and I was having a grand time taking in the new around me when I saw ANOTHER BEAR. This time a little black bear crossed the street and fed in the grass below so I was able to pull on the shoulder and take a couple photos. They’re such amazing creatures and I’m still surprised it took going all the way to Jasper to see not one, but four. Now to complete my personal checklist I need to see a moose, caribou, and grizzly. One day.
I was kinda upset because the lighting was poor for photography, the west side being the better side but the sun too far set to see anything other than shadows. So to get over the disappointment I resolved to ride in the morning and stop at every view point to take photos. That decision improved my mood but not more than stopping at the Jasper Brewing Company where AJ treated us to beer and dinner. We got to watch the sky be light well until 2300 while sipping a beer. Then headed off to camp and laid down after midnight with light still in the sky. The winds were blowing hard so we both knew a storm was coming.
Ending milage: 37,600
Total miles for the day: 364
Total time riding: A long time
Total miles since San Jose: 4,025
Day 18: July 19th, 2018
The wind calmed down which caused my temperature to rise due to overly warm gear and an overly warm night. After some tossing and turning to let in enough air I settled into sleep, which is where I was when I started to feel water on my face. 0430 and the rain finally started, so I jumped up to ghetto install my tarp, which I had ready. Two minutes it took to get that done and I was back in my hammock and snoozing off to rain tapping around me.
It was after 0800 when I got up again and it was still raining. AJ and I waited until there was a break in it, packed up quickly, and went back to Jasper to split for a few days. The ride there it started to rain again, and was quite cold. At the gas station he went west, I went south to retrace Highway 93. Being on my own was going to be easier for the massive amount of stops I knew I was going to do to take photos.
By 0930 I was headed south, in dry weather, and pulling off anytime there was a sign that indicated a viewpoint plus anytime I saw something worth pulling over for. The weather cleared as the sun rose, smoked up a little, and cleared again by the time I reached the glacier visitor center. I also met two very nice Aussies at the first pull off and we continued to play leap frog as we met at different stops. At the visitor center I tried to wait for them, and for some rain to pass, and went thru the challenge of crushing some pennies. The “special token” machine that wouldn’t take paper money or toonies, loonies only, ended up being American pennies. This was after a good hour of trying to get something to happen. When I decided to leave because I had to be out of the park by 4:30, the Aussies’ bikes were parked outside but after walking the building three times I never saw them. So I snapped my photos of the glacier, got hailed and rained on, but nonetheless continued on down the road. I got gas at the Saskatchewan Crossing, where I was so hot I stripped out of some of my gear, and then started to see them again. At a spot where we could pull down onto the grass I motioned to them to join me for a photo. They then decided to invite me to Lake Louise for a drink. We finished off the last bit without stopping and got rained on some more. By that point I had been wet and dry so much that I stopped even thinking about it. Luckily it wasn’t horribly cold.
That was the technical part of the ride south. The truth is that I was mind boggled the whole time. Mountains, rivers, trees, rocks, and valleys that you can’t even imagine. I was dazed by it all, to say the least, and fell further in love like I’ve never felt before.
In Lake Louise the two other riders, one new one, and myself had a little lunch and beer at the local restaurant. But before it got late they had to head thru Kootenai to Radium and I had to start east on highway 1 to work my way to the border. The goal was to make the border before stopping but that never happened.
More rain, cleared up, chilled down. A stop to nap on a picnic table where a couple in an RV wouldn’t leave me be to rest. After being woken twice I couldn’t get back to sleep so I went on until Peachland when I stopped at a small and hidden spot off of the road to nap before hitting the fire escort area. The nap lasted longer than I wanted, started at 0100 and ended at 0430, so begins the next day.
Ending milage: 38,030
Total miles for the day: 430
Total time riding: 10-12 hours
Total miles since San Jose: 4,455
It was after 0800 when I got up again and it was still raining. AJ and I waited until there was a break in it, packed up quickly, and went back to Jasper to split for a few days. The ride there it started to rain again, and was quite cold. At the gas station he went west, I went south to retrace Highway 93. Being on my own was going to be easier for the massive amount of stops I knew I was going to do to take photos.
By 0930 I was headed south, in dry weather, and pulling off anytime there was a sign that indicated a viewpoint plus anytime I saw something worth pulling over for. The weather cleared as the sun rose, smoked up a little, and cleared again by the time I reached the glacier visitor center. I also met two very nice Aussies at the first pull off and we continued to play leap frog as we met at different stops. At the visitor center I tried to wait for them, and for some rain to pass, and went thru the challenge of crushing some pennies. The “special token” machine that wouldn’t take paper money or toonies, loonies only, ended up being American pennies. This was after a good hour of trying to get something to happen. When I decided to leave because I had to be out of the park by 4:30, the Aussies’ bikes were parked outside but after walking the building three times I never saw them. So I snapped my photos of the glacier, got hailed and rained on, but nonetheless continued on down the road. I got gas at the Saskatchewan Crossing, where I was so hot I stripped out of some of my gear, and then started to see them again. At a spot where we could pull down onto the grass I motioned to them to join me for a photo. They then decided to invite me to Lake Louise for a drink. We finished off the last bit without stopping and got rained on some more. By that point I had been wet and dry so much that I stopped even thinking about it. Luckily it wasn’t horribly cold.
That was the technical part of the ride south. The truth is that I was mind boggled the whole time. Mountains, rivers, trees, rocks, and valleys that you can’t even imagine. I was dazed by it all, to say the least, and fell further in love like I’ve never felt before.
In Lake Louise the two other riders, one new one, and myself had a little lunch and beer at the local restaurant. But before it got late they had to head thru Kootenai to Radium and I had to start east on highway 1 to work my way to the border. The goal was to make the border before stopping but that never happened.
More rain, cleared up, chilled down. A stop to nap on a picnic table where a couple in an RV wouldn’t leave me be to rest. After being woken twice I couldn’t get back to sleep so I went on until Peachland when I stopped at a small and hidden spot off of the road to nap before hitting the fire escort area. The nap lasted longer than I wanted, started at 0100 and ended at 0430, so begins the next day.
Ending milage: 38,030
Total miles for the day: 430
Total time riding: 10-12 hours
Total miles since San Jose: 4,455
Day 19: July 20th, 2018
Day 20: July 21st, 2018
Steven had to work the afternoon so I spent the day with AJ going to see Ant-man and the Wasp. It was a pleasant day to chill before Steven got off of work. We walked to Earl’s where we got drunk, played pool, and got stupid on the walk back. Steven fell in a bush.
Ending milage: 38,377
Total miles for the day: 0
Total time riding: 0
Total miles since San Jose: 4,802
Ending milage: 38,377
Total miles for the day: 0
Total time riding: 0
Total miles since San Jose: 4,802
Day 21: July 22nd, 2018
Day 22: July 23rd, 2018
Day 23: July 24th, 2018
